


June Fics

by enogk07



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, Oneshot collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-07 11:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15217736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enogk07/pseuds/enogk07
Summary: A collection of stories that I uploaded on Tumblr this past month...all of which have a common theme. (Re-Upload)1.) Embarrassing Past--Patton feels dejected when Thomas throws out some of his old journals just like Thomas had always wanted.2.) The Apartment--Logan and Patton butt heads while buying things for their new apartment.3.) Audition--Logan is hurt when Thomas decides to audition for another play instead of looking into astronomy courses.4.) Movie Night--Patton convinces his roommate Logan to join him and some other freshmen for a movie night, but Logan is a little nervous that his tendency to nitpick will ruin everyone's fun.5.) House Party--Logan is miserable at his new school, so when Dylan offers to help him fit in better, he jumps on it.





	1. Embarrassing Past

**N** othing in the world upsets Patton more than when Thomas throws something out from his childhood or gives it to charity. **E** very shrunken shirt and broken board game that gets tossed into a donation bin only serves to solidify his fear that one day he will disappear as well.

**V** irgil does what he can at first to comfort his best friend whenever this happens, but as these breakdowns become more frequent he finds himself becoming exasperated by Patton's unwillingness to face reality. **E** ven though he, too, feels uneasy in the wake of change, he just cannot relate to Patton's extreme attachment to literally every part of Thomas' past.

**R** egardless of how hard Virgil tries to hide his disagreement, Patton can still see it, and is particularly wounded by his best friend's betrayal. **G** ranted, Virgil does at least try to put his feelings aside, but to Patton, that effort is not enough considering the fact that he still ultimately doesn't understand.

**O** ne day, Thomas finally gets around to throwing away some of his old journals, just like Virgil always wanted, and the latter cannot contain his relief. **N** eedless to say, Patton loses it. **N** ow certain that the others secretly want him gone, Patton locks himself in his room. **A** concerned Virgil tries to coax him out, but Patton yells through the door that clearly the best solution for everyone is to get rid of him altogether so they won't have to deal with his silly antics anymore--especially when the others never participated in said antics anyway.

**G** uilt and worry eat at Virgil as he stands in front of the closed door and realizes that Patton does have a point regarding that second part. **I** t occurs to him that if he really wants to prove to Patton that his fears are unfounded, he will have to let go of his own pride a bit.

**V** irgil returns to his room and starts pacing, trying to figure out how he can both explain to Patton that the latter matters and prove that he's not afraid to be silly. **E** ventually, while digging through some of Thomas' old CDs, he comes across something that gives him the perfect idea. **Y** es, if he implements it correctly then Roman will probably never let him live it down, but Virgil is willing to take that risk to help his best friend.

**O** nce his plan is fully thought out, Virgil returns to Patton's room and announces that he has something to tell him. **U** nderstandably skeptical, Patton lets his best friend inside, half-afraid that the conversation will end with Virgil telling him to get out of the Mind Palace.

... **U** ntil Virgil turns up his phone, and begins lip-syncing and dancing as the musical offerings of Rick Astley fill the room.

**P** atton breaks out grinning upon realizing what has just happened and tackles his best friend into a hug, now certain that while Thomas may throw away some things from his past, Patton himself will never be given up.


	2. The Apartment

"Pweeeaaase, Logan?"

Logan Sanders truly cared for his best friend. They'd known each other since the first day of college, and Logan wouldn't have agreed to get an apartment with him after graduation if he didn't want it. But as the mere proposal quickly became a reality, he found himself becoming more and more unsure that the housing arrangement would sustain itself.

And in that moment, standing in a Petco at the center of a giant indoor mall, Logan was finally at the end of his rope.

" _We're_ not getting a puppy, Patton."

"Aw, come on, why not?" Patton begged. " _No_ one else but me will take care of it, I promise."  
  
"You can't be serious," Logan said, rubbing his hands on his forehead. He turned to walk in the other direction, but Patton chased after him, wagging his finger.

" _Strangers_ could come into our apartment in the middle of the night and try to rob us, and there'd be no one to keep us safe!" he warned playfully.

Logan spun back around to glare at him. "Patton, we live in a perfectly safe neighborhood. _To_ suggest that anyone would try to rob us is absurd."

"Oh, Logan," Patton tsked, pressing his face up against one of the cages. " _Love_ just isn't something you could ever understand."

Logan put his hand up. "Don't go there," he said sharply. Patton bowed his head apologetically.

" _You_ said you wanted to come to the mall with me to help buy new things," Logan went on. "I made the mistake of thinking you would actually be helpful. _Know_ , however, that if I had known you were going to be this ridiculous and childish I wouldn't have taken you along."

Logan paused for a split second, wondering if he'd gone too far. But no, that goofy smile was still plastered on Patton's face. "Aw, I'm just trying to give our new home a bit more of a comforting feel!" he insisted. " _The_ apartment would be so lonely without a sweet dog to cuddle with at night."

Logan crossed his arms. "Patton, you know full well that we'd get in so much trouble if we did that. _Rules_ are rules--and they're not mine, they're our landlord's. I'm not letting you make a decision that could lead to us becoming homeless."

Patton sulked, but backed away from the cages.

" _And_ besides," Logan continued, "how can you promise to take care of a dog when we both have jobs during the day? Honestly, this is a terrible idea."  
  
But Patton still wasn't deterred. " _So_...I'm hearing a maybe?" he asked, leaning in with a cheeky smile.

Logan put his arms down and walked briskly towards the exit. "Alright, that's it, we're leaving the pet store."

Patton opened his mouth to protest, but without turning around, Logan put one finger up. " _Do_ not fight me on this." Patton groaned loudly, but finally conceded and followed Logan out of the store, all the while dragging his feet dramatically.

Once they were back outside, though, Patton straightened up again, and Logan in turn got a little less irritable. "Now, onto our real errands," the latter said, dragging Patton into Target instead. " _I_ believe we are in need of silverware, furniture, and bedsheets, primarily. Not toys and video games," he added pointedly.

Patton grinned and raised his finger. " _A_ very wise decision, my friend! Although need I remind you that we should still eventually buy groceries as well," he said with a smirk.

Logan got the message perfectly well, and grimaced at the thought of Patton filling their apartment with junk food.

" _Full_ fridges mean full stomachs, which in turn mean happy and well-functioning adults, don't you think?" Patton went on. "Now, that said, should we buy bulk packages of Mac and cheese, or go the frozen pizza route?" he asked, stroking his chin dramatically.

Logan just stared at him, mystified. "... _Commitments_ and responsibilities of the adult world mean nothing to you, do they?"

Patton's face returned to that playful sulk. "Aw, well, I don't think that's totally fair."

" _What_ , so you think you do have a semblance of maturity?"

"Well sure, why wouldn't I?" Patton asked, flicking his hands out in a playful shrug. Logan glared at him, but he continued, " _I'm_ just saying, making jokes every now and then isn't the end of the world."

Logan spun around to face him and chopped his hands forward. "Okay, but Patton, it's not just the jokes that are a problem. _Thinking_ ahead, resisting impulses--those are the kinds of skills that you're severely lacking in." He knocked lightly on Patton's skull.

Patton drooped his arms and whined again. "Aw, but that's so boring!"

Logan rolled his eyes. " _Of_ course it is, but that's what adulthood is sometimes. Now seriously, let's get to work here--and if you make one more sarcastic comment, I am pulling the plug on this lease," he said, lifting his finger. " _You_ got it?"

Patton put his hands up and resisted an eye roll. "Yeah, yeah, I've got it, just chill."

They wandered through the store, and as Logan began crossing things off his list, he became gradually less irritable. Patton, meanwhile, hadn't said so much as three words since Logan had issued his warning.

But as time went on, Logan was beginning to find the silence unnerving. The store was bigger than he expected, and there were too many nuances between products that he couldn't understand. Feeling suddenly guilty, lonely, and desperate for contact, he decided that the least he could do was engage Patton in the process. He dragged him over to where the linens were.

" _Wouldn't_ these bedsheets go nicely in the guest room?" he asked, trying to sound confident.

Patton looked up, still glum. "Oh, yeah, I guess they would!"

Logan smiled softly and jerked his head. " _Get_ me the cart, would you?"

Patton obediently dragged their cart over, and Logan placed the bedsheets inside. "There we go. _This_ afternoon is finally coming together." He turned back to Patton and gave him a gentle smile.

Patton looked up in surprise. "Ya think?" he asked shyly.

Logan nodded. " _From_ where this conversation was about ten minutes ago, I would certainly say so, wouldn't you?" He put a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"I guess so, yeah," Patton replied, trying to smile.

They continued to walk around buying various things, and Logan was finally starting to relax now. Patton's obnoxious comments had stopped, and the more Logan pretended to know what he was doing, the easier that got. But as their shopping trip came to an end, Logan himself started getting quiet, too.

They walked towards the register, and Logan's heart rate quickened with every step. He took a deep breath and turned to his side, expecting to be met with the calming sight of his best friend...

Until he realized that Patton wasn't standing next to him anymore.

Suddenly seized with panic, he shoved the cart aside and ran through the store, calling out for him. He tugged at his hair in agony. How long had Patton been gone, anyway? Had Logan really been so focused on the fact that Patton wasn't being annoying anymore that he failed to realize that he'd disappeared entirely?

" _Any_ shoppers out here find a missing person?" he finally cried out in childish desperation.

Just then, a stranger put a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Whoa, buddy, you okay there?"

He spun around, and found himself face to face with a man wearing a leather jacket and carrying a thermos. He lowered his sunglasses, which he was wearing indoors for some reason, and gave Logan a concerned look.

Logan stared back at the strange man, in a daze. " _Other_ than having misplaced my friend with no way to know where he is or how long he's been gone, I suppose I'm just peachy."

"Your friend?" the man asked, taking his hand off of Logan's shoulder. Logan nodded helplessly. " _Guy_ wearing a blue T-shirt and cardigan, about yea high, square glasses kinda like yours?"

Logan nodded again, and the man continued, "I'm pretty sure he headed over to the toy aisle if you want to still catch him."

Without even thanking him, Logan ran off in the direction the man was pointing. He finally reached the toy aisle, and sure enough he saw Patton hovering over a bucket of bouncy balls. Patton looked up to see him, and jumped back.

He put his hands up. " _I_ was just looking at these, I swear I wasn't going to make you buy them," he rambled. But Logan shut him up with a hug that surprised both of them.

"Patton, what were you thinking disappearing like that?" he asked desperately.

Patton responded with a timid shrug, still wrapped in Logan's arms.

Logan sighed and squeezed his tight. " _Just_...don't scare me like that again, okay?"

"'Kay," Patton choked out.

They pulled out of the hug, and Patton was about to turn and walk the other way, but Logan put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. Patton turned to look at him.

Logan tilted his head. " _Wanna_ talk about it?" he asked, rubbing his arm. "If not, that's okay too, I just--"

Patton nodded and jerked his head, and they left the toy aisle. They moved to a bench in the center of the store, taking in the ambient noise of all the people walking past them and the cool rush of the air conditioning above them. Logan waited patiently for Patton to collect himself, and finally the latter spoke up.

" _Tell_ me this, Logan--why did you say yes to my asking you to live with me if this is how you really feel? I mean, everything you said about me is true." He was speaking more quickly now. " _You_ put up with so much of my jokes and annoying acts that I put on all the time because that's all I know how to do since I don't know how to do anything else, and you always know what you're doing and I don't, and seriously, who thought it was a good idea to just shove me out into the real world like this?"

Logan sat back, stunned by the outburst. Patton took a deep breath and said more slowly, "Okay, I know that was kind of a lot at once, but still. _How_ am I supposed to figure this out?"

Patton looked to Logan, waiting for an answer. Logan stared down and swung his legs, and finally he spoke up. It was time for him to come clean. "Patton...can I tell you a secret?"

Patton raised his eyebrows and tilted his head, urging Logan to go on. The latter took a shaky breath and glanced around before saying in a low voice, " _I'm_ pretty sure I've never been able to talk to a single cashier without you next to me. You just have this nature about you that makes people feel safe and comfortable, and somehow when I'm with you I don't care as much if my purchases are weird or if it takes too long to put my money away...because I know that you're still my friend."

He met Patton's eyes for the first time, and, seeing no signs of judgment, relaxed a little. He took Patton's hand. " _Feeling_ scared is basically part of the contract for both of us right now, but that's why we're doing it together!"

Patton gave Logan a skeptical look, but Logan just softened even more and said with the utmost sincerity, "I can't do this alone, either."

" _Gotta_ be honest...haven't really seen this side of you before," Patton finally choked out after taking a few moments to find his voice.

Logan looked down again and rubbed his arm. "I mean, I know you've been nervous about all this, and I've been trying to help in the best way I can, I just thought that being honest about my own fears would..." He paused, trying to find the right words.

" _Make_ me even more scared?" Patton offered.

Logan nodded. "But if that wasn't helping you, then I apologize." He lifted his hands again so that they were on Patton's shoulders, and looked his tearful best friend straight in the eye. " _You_ are capable of figuring all this out, and I'm sorry for all the comments I've made today that have contradicted that. But we're going to figure this out together!"

Patton bit his lip and looked down, so Logan gave the shoulder another shake.

" _Understand_?"

Finally Patton looked up and smiled. "I do."

Logan tentatively opened his arms, and Patton leaned in for a hug. As the two sat on the bench and clung to each other for dear life, they also both began to feel more secure for the first time.

They could make the arrangement work. They just had to learn to be honest with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First word of every other spoken sentence, up to the end of the first verse.


	3. Audition

"Hey Logan, _we're_ off to help Thomas with an audition this afternoon. We'll be back later, alright?"

Thomas' logical side looked up from the book he was reading to see Virgil standing in the doorway, with Patton and Roman behind him. Logan frowned.

"Hold on, _no_ one told me this was happening. I thought Thomas was going to look at options for a doctorate this weekend." He rose from his chair. "Are some _strangers_ with fancy clipboards somehow more important than a chance at another diploma?"

Roman came into the room and put his hands up. "Whoa, just chill there, would you? You have _to_ let Thomas have fun sometimes, you know."

Logan crossed his arms. "And who says that going back to school wouldn't be fun?" He turned to Patton for backup, but this time the moral side just grimaced and put a hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Look...we _love_ you, Logan, but...Roman has a point. You know how much Thomas loves acting. And if _you_ keep him from doing it, he's just gonna resent you for it."

Logan pulled away from Patton's touch and glared at him. "I never said he couldn't do it," he insisted. "And I _know_ it's important to him. I'm just saying that he promised he'd get on this soon."

Roman rolled his eyes. "Okay, but _the_ weekend is longer than just one afternoon, you know. I'm sure he'll help you find a good one tomorrow."

"Well, the _rules_ of procrastination and human behavior aren't exactly in your favor there, but fine," Logan replied, throwing his hands up. "If you insist that he will come back and work on his grad school search, then I suppose I can allow you to go to the audition. Now, go _and_ do your little dances and singing or whatever it is you guys do. If it matters so much to you all, I will not stop it from happening."

The room was silent for a moment in the wake of Logan's sudden outburst. Patton and Virgil exchanged concerned glances.

Finally, Roman broke the silence. "Okay then... _so_ you're saying we can go? Sounds good to me!" He clapped his hands and motioned for Patton and Virgil to follow him.

But Patton blocked the doorway and turned back to Logan. "Hey, wait, _do_ you want to come with us?"

"Yeah, you could help us find ways to approach the audition!" Virgil added. Logan looked up at him skeptically.

"And besides," he added, lowering his voice, " _I_ need you around to keep me sane."

But Logan still didn't move. "C'mon, we need your help here," Virgil said earnestly.

Something in Logan's face softened, and he got up from the chair again, but then Roman spoke up again. "Or, Virgil, _a_ better idea would be to let him stay here and make sure Thomas stays productive. Much better than having him drag us all down, don't you think?"

Patton tsked and shook his head at Roman. "You're just _full_ of negativity today, aren't you? I say we give Logan a chance to be included, don't you agree, Virgil?" Virgil nodded.

But Logan just put his hands up. "Thomas' theatre _commitments_ are not exactly my forte. Roman is right--I'd just slow everyone down."

He started turning back to his work, but when he saw the pout on Patton's face, he sighed. "Tell you _what_ , I'll go with you guys this one time just to see what it's like, alright? Then we'll never do this again."

Roman crossed his arms. "Far as _I'm_ concerned, that works just fine for me. But after that, you leave the acting to me, got it?"

"I was _thinking_ the same thing," Logan shot back. "Let's just get this over with, shall we?"

\--

As Thomas got on the train to go to his audition, Roman sat back and glared at Logan. Logan stared straight ahead and tried to ignore him, while Virgil alternated between giving warning glances to Roman and reassuring smiles to Logan. Even Patton, who normally spent the rides over to an audition by fantasizing about how it would go, couldn't help feeling dragged down by the silent battle.

"Ah, yes, _of_ course we have to wait in a line," Logan groaned once they finally got there. "I completely forgot that waiting was a part of the audition process."

"How could _you_ forget that?" Roman sneered. "It's literally the first thing we have to do."

"Well, you _wouldn't_ remember the first thing that goes into an application, now, would you?"

"No, I guess not, but--"

"Do you _get_ to criticize me for forgetting things, then? Didn't think so." Logan turned away.

Patton bit his nails. "Please stop _this_ arguing, you guys. It's just gonna make the whole headspace worse."

Virgil nodded in agreement. "And coming _from_ someone who knows exactly what life for Thomas is like in a terrible headspace, I'm gonna agree that you guys should knock it off."

"Why do we need him here, anyway?" Roman protested. "I'd take _any_ of Thomas' high school bullies along to an audition before I'd take Logan."

Noticing Logan's wounded face, Patton quickly spoke up. "Okay everyone, let's just back up a bit, shall we? There are _other_ things to focus on, here."

"Yeah, like the fact that Thomas is about to be called up any minute," Virgil added, gesturing towards the stage.

Patton nodded. "C'mon, our _guy_ needs us. Can't you two just call a truce or something?"

Roman crossed his arms. "Only if _I_ get to make all the decisions until we get back." He pouted and turned his head away.

Logan just gave him a critical stare. "And then you'll all help me in this school search?"

The two stared each other down for a few moments, and Patton and Virgil exchanged anxious glances. Logan and Roman had been fighting a lot more recently, but it wasn't common for them to do so right when Thomas needed one of them for something. If nothing happened soon, then Thomas would be forced to go up onstage without influence from either of them.

Finally, after the staring contest had gone on long enough, Virgil burst out, "Would you _just_ shake hands already?"

"No, I won't!" Roman yelled, and jerked his thumb towards Logan. "I don't _wanna_ have to put up with this one getting in our--"

"Next person up!"

Everyone froze as the casting director called Thomas up to the stage. It was time for him to get out of his head, which meant that the four of them couldn't argue amongst themselves anymore--at least, not as loudly.

"Can you _tell_ me your name, sir?" the director asked.

"Thomas Sanders."

Roman glanced towards the stage. "Okay, fine, _you_ can stay, Logan," he whispered. "Just don't mess him up, got it?"

Logan glared at him. "Roman, precisely _how_ could I mess--"

But Virgil just came up from behind and started massaging his shoulders, shutting him up. "Shh--just...just let him do his thing," he soothed.

Suddenly, Logan hardened. "Fine, then _I'm_ leaving." He shook himself out of Virgil's grip.

The latter's eyes widened. "Wait, hold on, I didn't mean it like that--"

"If Roman's _feeling_ stifled by my presence, then the best thing I can do for the sake of the group is to go back home." He readied himself to sink down.

Virgil grabbed him by the shoulders in desperation, facing him this time. "Don't you dare leave me here alone again."

Patton nodded emphatically. "Yeah, you've _gotta_ stay here! We need you!"

Logan shook his head. "I'll just _make_ things more difficult," he said solemnly as he sunk down.

\--

Back at the Mind Palace, Virgil and Patton scoured the apartment for Logan. Virgil paced back and forth. "Oh, no, no, no, this is not good. Where do _you_ think he could have gone? I mean, Sides don't just fade away from existence like that, do they?" He turned to Patton helplessly.

Patton put a hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Kiddo, I _understand_ that you're a little freaked out, but let's just take it easy. He has to be here somewhere. Look, he's _never_ left permanently before, has he?"

Virgil shook his head as they entered the hallway. "I just don't know where he could have--Logan!"

The logical side was sitting on the floor of Patton's room, clutching Thomas' graduation cap. Patton and Virgil exchanged startled but relieved glances, and sat on the floor with him. Patton touched Logan's hand and met his eyes, silently urging him to talk.

"It's all _gonna_ disappear, isn't it?" Logan began after taking a shaky breath. "Every fact memorized, every silly mnemonic. I can't _give_ Thomas anything that he won't just throw away eventually. The same can't be said for you three."

He put down the cap and began pacing. "All of _you_ actually contribute to Thomas' acting in a meaningful way. I'm just a part of the past, and it's high time I faced that fact. It was _up_ to me to make sure Thomas studied hard and got to class on time, but what else did I do, really?"

"Logan--" Virgil cut in softly.

"He is _never_ going to sign up for that class; I'd be delusional to think otherwise. My only purpose has been rendered moot. Facts are _gonna_ continue getting tossed out the window. Heck, before we know it I'm probably just going to fade from existence altogether."

"Can you _let_ me--"

"Okay, fine, maybe that came out as a bit dramatic," Logan went on. "But still, _you_ know what I mean. I'm just saying, why delay the inevitable?"

"Logan, calm _down_ ," Virgil interrupted again, a bit more loudly than he had intended. Logan dropped his hands and turned towards him, startled.

"Please?" he said, more gently this time. "We are _never_ going to get anywhere with this conversation if you're gonna be like this. Now, let's just take some deep breaths, alright?"

He grabbed Logan's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye, taking the biggest breaths he could. Logan nodded and matched Virgil's breathing to the best of his ability.

"No one's _gonna_ just toss you out the window, Logan," Patton spoke up. "I mean, can you imagine what a mess that would be? Thomas would've _run_ up onto that stage today not knowing a single line if it hadn't been for you."

"That's not true; Roman's the one who helps him prepare for auditions, not me," Logan pointed out. He goes _around_ making sure Thomas knows how to play to the back row and remain confident. But I mean, props to him for figuring out how to stay relevant."

Roman himself, who had returned to join them by that time, just shook his head. "Logan, you _and_ I might not always agree on things, but you should know that you do so much for this group. You help move us forward in your own way."

Patton nodded in agreement, and Virgil moved to pick up Thomas' diploma. He turned back to face Logan and met his eyes.

"Watching Thomas _desert_ his past life as a chemical engineer was really hard on you, and please trust me when I say that we understand that you're hurting," he said sincerely. Logan stared down at the floor. "But that doesn't mean that he doesn't still have new things to learn," he went on.

Patton nodded again, and picked up a script from one of the first Sanders Sides episodes. He shoved it in Logan's hands.

"Thanks to _you_ , Thomas is able to learn so much about acting, and editing, and songwriting, and all the things that got him where he is today," he insisted. He touched Logan's hand again carefully. "You're every bit as important as you always were."

Logan closed his eyes and took a deep, quivering breath. Everything the others were saying was right...so why didn't he feel any better?

"But it's _never_ going to be how it was, though," he finally said. "I appreciate you all pointing out the ways in which I still have value, but ultimately, it doesn't matter what role I have. It's still _gonna_ be different."

The other three exchanged heartbroken glances, and finally Virgil spoke up.

"You're right, it will be different," he said with a grimace. "We can't _make_ that reality go away, and there's only so much we can do to make it easier to swallow. I really wish we could."

Logan swallowed the lump in his throat and sat down on the floor again. Virgil bent down to his level and squeezed his hand.

"But Logan," he continued, " _you_ have to understand that you're not alone in this. What you're feeling is totally normal."

Finally Logan had reached his limit. Tears fell down his face no matter how hard he tried to stop them, and so he swiveled away from the rest of the group, covering his mouth with his hand.

Now it was Patton's turn to sit on the floor. "You can _cry_ , you know, Logan. Seriously--let's just get that out of the way. We could _never_ cut you down for something like that." He darted his head every which way, trying to meet Logan's eyes.

But Logan just buried himself in his knees. "I just feel like such a hypocrite," he bawled. "I'm not _gonna_ just sit here and cry my eyes out over this when I've criticized both Thomas and Patton for doing the same thing in the past."

Virgil shook his head and grabbed Logan's shoulder. "Look...buddy, whether or not you want to admit it, these changes are affecting all of us. But I'll _say_ to you the same thing I said to Patton earlier--just be mindful, and know that it will pass."

Logan sat up again and looked down at his hands. "I just hate being so irrational," he said softly.

Roman stared down at him. He rubbed his arm for a moment and looked towards the door a couple of times. But the other two looked up at him with expectant glares, and finally his grudge from the morning melted away, so he sighed and sat down as well.

"Look, saying _goodbye_ to the past is hard for anyone," Roman said. "Rationality has nothing to do with it."

"But I've _never_ felt like this before," Logan said helplessly.

Suddenly, Virgil had a moment of realization. "Maybe that's kind of scary?" he asked.

Logan nodded and started to cry again. Virgil opened his arms up, and Logan hesitantly went in for a hug. Virgil sat there and rocked him for a few moments, eventually letting go once the crying had settled down a little.

Patton moved to sit in front of him again. "Listen, it's _gonna_ get easier, alright?" he soothed. "I can absolutely promise you that. I can't _tell_ you how, but I know that it will." He smiled at Logan warmly.

Roman spoke up again. "Just don't forget that no matter what happens..."

"We're still _a_ team," Virgil finished, shooting Roman a rare smile. "All of us."

Logan giggled a little and wiped his eyes. "I won't _lie_ , Virgil, that's definitely one of the cheesiest things you've ever said. But I can appreciate the message."  
  
Virgil smiled back and gave a little shrug. "Well, hours _and_ hours of watching Thomas say things like that will make you pick up on it, I guess."

Logan nudged his arm and grinned, and the four of them sat in peaceful silence for a while until it was Patton's turn to outstretch his arms.

"You've got this, kiddo," he said as Logan leaned into him. "Just...don't _hurt_ yourself trying to do everything alone. We're here for you." He pulled away to lift Logan's chin. "We've got _you_ covered."

Logan nodded and dissolved into tears again. Patton scooped him up again, and started rocking him just as Virgil had done minutes before. The other two exchanged glances, and then shrugged and joined the hug pile.

As Logan felt the added weight of the others on top of him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Even in the midst of his emotional turmoil, he could finally trust that everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third word of every other spoken sentence, up through the end of the first chorus.


	4. Movie Night

Logan Sanders sat in his college dorm room one evening, poring over his statistics homework. It was already the third week of school, but so far he had made very few friends. As the students in the rooms around him talked and prepared for their weekend plans, Logan remained by himself, trying to focus on his work.

But just then, his roommate Patton came in, breaking his concentration. Logan looked up.

"Hey, you remember those guys Roman and Virgil, right?" Patton asked as he came in and got settled. Logan nodded.

"Well, _we're_ all gonna have a movie night later tonight in the common room. Do you want to join us?"

Logan froze up. He'd enjoyed his time with Patton so far, and it was nice to have someone around who seemed to enjoy his company for once. But hanging out in a group was a whole other story.

He glanced around the room, and perked up when he locked eyes with his desk again. "Um, _no_ , I think I have a lot of work to catch up on tonight, but thank you for offering!"

Patton's shoulders slumped. "Aw...are you sure you don't want to come?"

Logan bent his head and gave a nervous laugh. "Honestly, _strangers_ from across campus, or even down the hall, frankly, would make better guests than I would." He turned to face Patton again. "As a matter of fact, why don't you extend the invitation to the rest of the dorm? Y'know, _to_ make new friends and stuff."

But Patton's face fell. "But aren't you our friend? We _love_ getting to hang out with you."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," Logan scoffed. "Have _you_ seen the way Roman looks at me? I'm pretty sure he can't stand being in either bio or history with me, much less in the same room to begin with."

Patton tilted his head. "I _know_ he can be a little intimidating at first, but once you get to know him I think you'll find that he's actually a really cool guy!"

Logan rubbed his arm and looked off to the side. "Well...does he know that you're inviting me?"

"He's _the_ one who brought it up to me, so I think so? But look, if you're not comfortable with it then you don't have to go," Patton replied, putting his hands up.

Logan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Spending the night actually doing something did sound like fun, but...not if it meant making even more people hate him.

"Social _rules_ just...they aren't my forte, all right?" he said finally.

"Oh...really?" Patton replied, sitting in his own chair.

Logan nodded. "Yes, _and_ I can promise you I'm not a person you want to watch movies with."  
  
"How come?" came Patton's innocently curious response.

"I'm _so_ annoying!" Logan burst out. He backtracked a little. "I mean, at least that's what people tell me."

He met Patton's eyes for the first time that afternoon, and discovered that they were full of patience, but also surprise. In any case, he clearly had Patton's permission to keep talking.

"I _do_ my best to keep my mouth shut," he went on, "but if I see something that's factually inaccurate then I have to correct it."

"Okay...I guess I can see how that could be frustrating," Patton said with a wince, "but I still think you should give this a try!"

Logan frowned again and just shook his head, swiveling back to his work once more. But Patton got up and put his hand on Logan's shoulder, so the latter reluctantly looked up again.

"Look... _I_ know we've only known each other for three weeks, but I really have enjoyed every minute I've spent with you!" He gave a genuine smile. "I want others to see how great my roommate is, too."

Logan couldn't help smiling at that compliment, and he shook his head. He thought it over.

"Well... _a_ short break from work couldn't hurt too much, I suppose," he said at last. "And Virgil doesn't seem to mind my company, at least." He frowned a little. "Roman's... _full_ of himself, if I'm being honest, but if you're sure he doesn't mind then sure, I'll join you."

"So...is that a yes?" Patton asked hopefully.

Logan glanced towards his desk one more time. "Academic _commitments_ must be fulfilled first, but after I finish this chapter, then sure, I'll join you."

Patton stood back and clapped his hands. "Great, I'll let the others know!" He left the room, and Logan leaned back in his chair, heaving an anxious sigh before returning to his work.

\--

A few hours later, Patton and Logan headed down to their dorm's common room. Roman wasn't there yet, but Virgil was already sitting on the couch with a bunch of movies in front of him. He looked up and locked eyes with Logan in particular.

"Hey, _what_ 's up, Logan?" he greeted cheerfully. "It's good to see you!"

Logan froze. He wasn't expecting to have to make conversation. "Oh... _I'm_ doing well...I mean, not much is up," he stumbled. "What about you?"

"Just _thinking_ about what to write for that English paper for Thursday," Virgil said with a shrug. "Have you started it yet?"

Logan perked up. "Ah, _of_ course, the one for Shakespeare and Sexuality, right? With Professor Mason?"

"Yeah, _you_  got it. I'm liking it a lot so far; how about you?" Virgil asked.

"I _wouldn't_ say it's the best class I'm taking this semester, but I am certainly enjoying it!" Logan replied with a wave of his hand.

"Oh yeah, that's fair! I _get_ you."

Logan nodded and looked around the room, rubbing his arm. Okay, so they'd made it through one conversation topic. What were they supposed to do next?

Logan stood there quietly for a moment, until Virgil finally broke the silence. "Well, anyway, feel free to take a seat!"

"Yeah, _this_ couch has got room for more people, you know," Patton said good-naturedly from his seat on said couch. Logan smiled sheepishly and sat next to his roommate.

"So...what are we watching, anyway?" Logan asked, looking off to the side.

Virgil leaned forward and sorted through the DVDs that were lying on the table. "Hm... _from_ the looks of it, we've got Moana, Big Hero Six, and Wreck-It Ralph." He turned back to face the other two. "What sounds good to you?"

Logan's stomach dropped. If there was anything that was factually inaccurate, it was Disney. The night was slated for disaster.

"Um, _any_ other movies?" he choked out. Then he winced; he knew it was a rude thing to say, but he didn't want to set himself up to make everyone miserable.

But Virgil had no reaction to this slight, and just shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Well, _other_ than whatever's in my collection anyway."

Logan hunched his shoulders and sunk back in his seat; Patton shot him a concerned glance. Meanwhile, Virgil was observing the interaction from the outside and got the sense that he was missing something. He shot a curious glance at Patton, who shoved his arms to the side as if urging Virgil to just move on, so the latter spoke up again.

"But anyway, we'll wait to choose once Roman comes back with the popcorn. The _guy_ is pretty serious when it comes to his popcorn, let me tell ya," he added with a laugh.

Logan forced a smile and lowered his shoulders a little. But moments later, Roman came in carrying a bowl of popcorn, and claimed his own spot on the couch.

"Hey guys, are you ready to start--"

He paused, noticing Logan for the first time. His smile faltered ever-so-slightly, but he regained his composure as he put the popcorn down.

"Oh, _I_ didn't know you were coming, Logan. How are you?"

"I'm _just_ fine, thanks for asking," Logan said, shooting Patton a quick glare. "Shall we get this evening started?"

"I _wanna_ wait a few more minutes," Roman replied. "Does anyone know if Remy is coming?"

Virgil spoke up from his seat on the floor. "I'll _tell_ you if he texts me, but last I heard he couldn't make it."

Roman's face fell. "Oh, that's too bad." He shrugged. "Well, _you_ guys want to pick the movie then?"

"Yeah, sounds like fun!" Patton said for the first time.

Roman smiled and peered over the table. "Okay... _how_ about _Big Hero Six_ , then? We can watch another movie later if we want."

"Hey, _I'm_ always down for puffy, huggable robots!" Virgil exclaimed.

"I'm into that, too!" Patton said. He and Virgil looked at Logan expectantly, and he gave a silent thumbs up.

"You _feeling_ alright, Logan?" Patton asked quietly as Roman got the movie set up.

"Oh, yeah, I'm good," Logan faltered. He stretched his arms forward, trying to release some of his tension. "Just _gotta_...stretch a little."

Patton shrugged and settled back into the couch. Logan took a handful of popcorn and tried to focus on the movie, but every instance of scientific inaccuracy got under his skin until he couldn't keep it to himself any longer.

"Wow, Hiro really doesn't know what he's doing," he blurted out. "I'd _make_ robots that work way better than that."

Roman tensed up and looked straight ahead. "Uh...yeah, I guess so," he muttered.

Patton leaned in closer to Logan. "Maybe _you_ should quiet down a little?" he said gently.

Logan winced. "Oh, right...sorry."

Patton gave Logan an encouraging smile and patted his knee before returning to his spot. Logan slid down in his own seat and tried to focus on the movie again.

But it wasn't long before he opened his mouth yet again. "I'd _understand_ if the mysterious man had created a few hundred microbots by the time they first found him, but as it is the man's rate of production is far too rapid given the timeline of the movie." The other three turned to face him, and Patton tried to gesture for him to quiet down again, but Logan continued. "I mean, come on! He'd _never_  be able to make them that quickly in real life."

This time Virgil spoke up. "Well, yeah...but it's not real life though?" he pointed out. Logan blushed and shoved some more popcorn in his mouth.

Patton looked around at his uncomfortable new friends, and then locked eyes with the bowl. "I'm _gonna_ get some more snacks," he said suddenly. "Does anyone want anything?"

Virgil shot Patton a knowing but grateful smile and tossed the latter his keys. "Just _give_ us whatever's laying around in our room."

Patton caught the keys in his hand. "Okay, perfect! Thank _you_ ; I'll get right on it."

A few minutes later, he returned with some Gummy bears and Reese's Pieces, and put them on the table. Roman and Virgil pounced on the candy, but Logan stayed right where he was, still puzzling over the movie. Much to his guilt, Patton's heart sank when he saw his new friend in that position; he knew what was coming next.

Sure enough, Logan spoke up again. "They're _up_ in the sky on a round wind turbine and they're not even sliding off? If Baymax is so concerned about everyone's health, why did he even agree to--"

"He's _never_ going to shut up, is he?" Roman burst out, pausing the movie. "Seriously, what is wrong with this guy?"

For about a minute, the common room was completely silent. Virgil shook his head at Roman and tried to meet Logan's eyes. Patton slid down in his own seat, silently hoping for all the fighting to stop soon. Roman's eyes widened for a split second, but then he scowled and folded his arms.

Meanwhile, Logan bit his lip and looked down at the floor. Finally, he collected himself enough to be able to talk. "I'm _gonna_ just...head out, I guess," he said as he rose up.

Virgil sat up and lifted his hand. "Hey, don't--"

"Wait, _let_ me talk to him," Patton interrupted. "He's my roommate."

So Patton got up and followed Logan outside. Virgil sighed and sat back down, giving Virgil one more glare before hesitantly starting the movie again.

\--

Patton walked the two flights of stairs back to his dorm room, and knocked gently on the open door. "Hey, _you_ doing alright?"

"Leave me alone," Logan mumbled without looking up from his chair. "Go _down_ to the common room where the rest of your new friends are."

Patton got in and closed the door. He sat down in his own chair and leaned forward. "I don't want to go back down there knowing you're so upset," he said sincerely.

"I've _never_ felt so humiliated in my life," Logan cried. He finally turned to face his roommate. "Just face it, Patton, nobody wants me around. You're _gonna_ have a much easier time here once you spend your time doing better things than hanging out with me." He folded his arms.

Patton sighed and leaned back in his chair as he tried to figure out how to respond. Finally, he spoke up again.

"Look, I do like hanging out with you," he began carefully. "I'd _run_ away from the cutest puppy in the world before I'd stop hanging out with you. Taking tests, going to the doctor--those things are unpleasant ways to spend time. Being _around_ you, though, is not a bad use of time in the least. And I do mean that," he said softly.

Logan slunk down in his chair and glanced up at him, waiting for the caveat.

But Patton continued, speaking more quickly now. "You _and_ I have had a lot of fun hanging out together these first few weeks. You're a smart person with some great ideas. Don't _desert_ your chances of making friends just based off of one bad night."

Logan folded his arms and sat up a little. "Somehow I feel like there's something you're not saying."

"Well... _you_ aren't wrong," Patton said after a pause. He started chewing on his nail. "It's just...I need you to take what I'm about to tell you in that context--as a friend who supports and cares about you no matter what. I'd _never_ hate you for anything, and--"

"You're stalling, Patton. You _gonna_ lay this on me, or what?" Logan snapped.

Patton took a deep breath. "I just...think you hurt Roman's feelings a little tonight," he spat out.

And suddenly, Logan's expression changed from angry to wounded.

"You _make_ it sound like I don't already know that," he said pitifully. "I could tell that it was hurting him after the first comment, but even knowing that I couldn't stop myself. Do _you_ understand what I'm talking about now?" His voice was much louder by this time, and he rose to sit on his bed.

Patton looked straight ahead, beginning to get nervous about the confrontation. But he continued, "It's okay to not like a movie, but the way you're making your comments makes it sound like you think poorly of anyone else who does like--"

Suddenly he heard a small whimper, and he finally forced himself to look at his new friend. He sighed and got up from his own seat.

"Don't _cry_ , Logan. Why are you crying?" he pleaded, sitting down next to him.

"I _never_ intended to make anyone feel bad," Logan said genuinely. "It truly saddens me to know that I always seem to."

Patton put a hand on Logan's shoulder. "It's _gonna_ be okay, alright? This is something we can work on together."

Logan pulled away from Patton and swiveled in the other direction, biting his lip. Patton peered over to meet his face.

"Just _say_ you're sorry to Roman for what happened," he continued gently. "That's all it takes. Kissing _goodbye_ to every chance at making friends whenever you make a mistake isn't helping anyone though," he added a bit more firmly.

Logan turned back around and laid his hands out on his lap. "But what if Roman doesn't even want to talk to me? I've _never_ done anything but bug him, remember?"

"I mean, I don't know Roman that much better than you do, but just based on what I know about people I think he'd be willing to talk to you."

Logan bit his nail again, and started rocking back and forth. He looked back at Patton timidly.

In response, Patton took Logan's free hand in his and met his eyes with a warm smile. "You're _gonna_ feel a lot better once you do this, trust me," he insisted.

Logan looked down again. "I...I don't know."

Patton let go of Logan's hand and leaned back on the latter's bed, thinking the situation over. Finally he spoke up again. "Okay, _tell_ you what--how about I talk to Virgil first to get a sense of how Roman is feeling. Would that make you feel better?"

Logan thought it over and gave a small nod. "To _a_ marginal extent, yes, it would."

Patton smiled and patted his friend. "Well, that's a start. Just _lie_ down and rest for now, okay? We'll figure things out in the morning."

\--

The next morning, Logan woke up in his bed, and immediately the events of the night before came back to him. He groaned and rolled over, and immediately saw Patton looking over at him. Logan raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Patton sighed.

"Virgil _and_ I talked a little last night," he began.

"Oh, and how did that go?"

Patton pulled his chair over a little closer to the bed. "Roman's _hurt_ still, but Virgil convinced him that he had his own apologizing to do, so he agreed to meet with you sometime today."  
  
Logan sat up and nodded. "I guess that's fair. Do _you_ know what time he said worked best for him?"

Patton nodded. "At ten, I think, which is...oh, which is any minute now, actually!" he said, startled.

Logan got out of bed. "Well, _we've_ gotta get going then, don't we?"

"I guess so, yeah."

Logan sighed and got dressed quickly, and then he and Patton headed out towards the others' room.

"I've _known_ the anatomy of an apology since kindergarten," Logan said aloud as they walked down the stairs. "Say I'm sorry and that it won't happen again, and offer to do what I can to make things better. Ensure _each_ of us is on the same page." He turned to face Patton. "That's all this is, right?"

Patton shrugged uncomfortably. "Well, _other_ than trying not to make excuses, sure. But I don't think you have to approach it as some sort of formula," he pointed out, softening a little. "Go _for_ being sincere, you know?"

Logan gave a quivering sigh and hunched his shoulders as they reached Roman and Virgil's floor and started down the hall.

"And don't overthink it too much," Patton went on, hand on Logan's shoulder. "It's _so_ easy sometimes to get lost in your head, and I get that, but Roman's just a person--just like you are."

"Yeah."

They had reached the door. Logan stared it up and down a few times as if it were a lion he was taming. He stared down at the doorknob and rubbed his arm, but jumped as Patton's voice pulled him out of his head.

"How _long_ were you planning on standing there, exactly?" came his roommate's good-natured whisper. Logan grit his teeth sheepishly and knocked on the door.

Virgil opened the door seconds later, looking cheerful. "Oh, hey guys! How's _your_ morning so far? Did you sleep well and everything?" The questions were addressed to both of them, but he was looking at Logan in particular.

Patton spoke up. "His _heart's_ been racing long enough, maybe we should just get this over with."

Virgil gave an understanding nod. "Okay, that's fair." He pulled back a little and faced Logan again. "Roman's _been_ up for a while now; he just left to get a snack, but he should be back any minute. Are you okay with waiting around here until then?"

Logan nodded shyly, and Virgil stepped aside to let him in. Then he turned back to Patton.

"I'm _aching_ to get something to eat soon. Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked, a bit too emphatically. Logan rolled his eyes a little, but couldn't help smiling.

"No, _but_ I wouldn't object to having some now!" he replied just as pointedly. "We'll see you later, alright, Logan?" He patted Logan's shoulder and left with Virgil for the dining hall.

Logan stood around in Virgil and Roman's empty dorm room, wondering if he should sit down. He looked around and stood in the center of the room, concerned more than anything with staying out of trouble.

At long last, Roman returned with a candy bar he'd gotten from the vending machine. He took notice of Logan and stopped short.

"Oh... _you're_ here already," he said plainly.

Logan looked down at himself, and looked back up at Roman with a sneer. "I guess I am, aren't I? That _too_ annoying for you?"

"You know, you don't need to broadcast to the world that you know everything," Roman snapped, closing the door behind them. He sat down in his desk chair and looked off to the side.

"I'm _shy_ enough around here as it is, okay?" he went on. "I just thought inviting those two guys from upstairs to a movie night with my roommate would be a good way to meet new people." He looked up at Logan. "But _to_ be reminded nearly right off the bat that I'm childish and immature because I like kids movies was not what I was looking for."

Logan looked away sadly, and Roman pointed wordlessly at Virgil's chair. Logan reluctantly sat down in it.

"Listen," Roman continued a bit more softly, I really am sorry for calling you out the way I did; it was uncalled for and it just made everyone uncomfortable, and I should have found a better way to put it. I'll _say_ I'm sorry for that--truthfully. But I also need you to understand where I'm coming from."

Logan nodded, and Roman looked at him expectantly.

"Now _it_ would be your turn to talk, I believe."

Logan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I suppose I'm confused as to what you mean when you say that you're shy," he began. "I'm _inside_ my dorm room each weekend doing homework while you're out hanging with all your new friends like everyone else."

Suddenly, Roman hardened again. "Um, and who exactly are these new friends you speak of?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "C'mon, _we_ both know what I'm talking about. I see people wave to you in passing all the time. Frankly _both_ students and teachers seem to like you quite a bit."

Roman leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Wow, we really live on different planets here, don't we?" Logan shot him a puzzled look, so he continued. "I _know_ you and Patton and Virgil so far--that's it. And sure, people talk to me, but that doesn't mean I know how to talk to them."

That last sentence gave Logan pause. Someone else...knew how it felt to not know how to hold a conversation?

Just then, Roman got up and started pacing. "But _what's_ worse is, Virgil is the only person that I'm really close to and he already knows me inside and out. Do you know how stifling it is to have to live with someone who already knows all of your flaws?" he shouted.

Logan sat there silently. He couldn't say he did know how stifling it was.

Roman continued talking, a bit calmer now. "I've _been_ trying to branch out so I could have a fresh start, but I can only do that so much because it seems mean to Virgil, and just...you're lucky that you don't have to deal with all that."

"I suppose I never thought of it that way," Logan said genuinely once Roman's tirade had had a chance to sink in. "Certainly _going_ off of that information I can understand why you would feel that your social position is inferior to mine; however--"

"Okay, seriously, do you have to talk like that?" Roman cut in suddenly. "Come _on_."

Just like he had the night before, Logan bit his lip and slid down further into his chair. In a moment of recognition, Roman slumped his shoulders and put his hands up.

"...Okay, you're right, that wasn't very helpful, let's just try that again," he said. Now it was his turn to close his eyes and take a deep breath. Finally his own voice was steady, and he spoke up again.

"Look, _we_ both know that you're the one who's supposed to be here and not me," he said pitifully. "As I was saying at the start of this conversation, all I ask is that you don't rub it in my face so much."

Logan looked up and tilted his head. "I _know_ that my...speech patterns can be unusual sometimes, but I'm feeling lost as to how that relates to your belief that only I belong here. Can you per--can you maybe explain that a little better?" he asked sincerely.

Roman put his face in his hands and groaned, and moved to lie on his bed. "All _the_ kids here have such intelligent conversations about books and culture and the stuff they've read and I can't contribute to any of it! I'm not smart enough to hear the nuances in classical music or to understand the significance of a given metaphor."

Logan thought this through and tried to find a way to speak up, but Roman went on. "This _game_ of trying to pretend I know those things just makes me feel worse. It's just exhausting and depressing. Oh, _and_ don't think for a second that I know anything about robotics or mass production or friction," he added pointedly. Logan nodded regretfully.

Roman turned to stare at the ceiling, having cooled off a little. "My point is, I was never meant to be a college student."

Logan sat in the chair for a few moments and swung his feet. He was done with his own self-pity; Roman was saying things about himself that weren't true, and for the first time he could ever remember, Logan was overcome with a sense of compassion. But how to help?

"Roman... _we're_ in the same history class together, right?" he said at last.

Roman turned around and faced him. "Yeah...why?"

"You're _gonna_ say you don't belong here even though just last week you made an incredibly insightful point about how Taft's domestic policies impacted his decision to fire Pinchot?" Logan asked gently.

Roman sat up and glared at him. "What, you mean the point that a certain someone said was incomplete? Don't _play_ like you liked what I said when you're the one who shot it down."

Suddenly, Logan got back on the defensive. "Now, I don't think that's entirely fair. Shooting _it_ down would be like saying it was a bad idea. I liked it a lot; I was just trying to build on it." He stared at Roman with the same helpless, wounded look he'd given Patton the night before, but then he sighed and shook his head.

He tilted his head again and leaned forward a bit. "...You _and_ I have had a pretty rough start, haven't we?" he said shyly. Roman leaned forward too, and offered a small smile.

They stayed like that for a moment or two, but then Logan shook his head and leaned back. "Anyway, what I was trying to say is, you're at this school because you got accepted. And _if_ you ask me, that's evidence enough that you're meant to be here," he said, meeting Roman's eyes for the first time.

Now it was Roman's turn to stare at his feet. "It is?"

Logan nodded. "Don't _you_ understand?" he asked, speaking even more softly now. "Admissions directors don't make mistakes about these things."

Roman gave him a skeptical glare, so he went on. "They _ask_ all the right questions during interviews and read every application essay carefully to ensure that all their students are thoughtful and intelligent and have the potential to thrive here. You're here because they were able to see the best in you." He smiled again.

Roman swallowed back a sob, and said at last, "Maybe _me_ and you should talk more often."

'You and I,' Logan thought to himself, but he was too overjoyed to finally have a new friend to care. "Yeah, maybe we should," he replied with a grin.

Roman smiled and wiped his eyes. "Look, _how_ about we start this over, yeah?" He stood up and stuck out his hand. "I'm Roman."

Logan grinned and stood from Virgil's chair, sticking out his own hand. "Hello, _I'm_ Logan. It's nice to meet you!"

\--

A week later, Logan put his coat on and headed for the game room across campus. He and Roman had agreed to get to know each other better, and decided that a relaxing evening playing pool was a good way to start. He opened the door and waved goodbye to Patton nervously.

Patton raised his eyebrows. "You _feeling_ alright?"

Logan nodded quick. "Yeah, for sure. I _don't_ see why I wouldn't, after all."

"I agree!" Patton said knowingly. Logan looked away and swayed back and forth in the doorway for a few minutes, until Patton got up and gently shoved him into the hallway.

"Hey, _tell_ me how things go after, alright? But seriously, just relax." He patted Logan's shoulder and closed the door to their room, and Logan reluctantly headed off.

When he got to the game room, he looked around for a moment before he caught sight of Roman waving him over.

"Get _me_ that stick over there, would you?" Roman said, jerking his head over to where the pool sticks were. Logan approached the rack and tossed him one thoughtlessly, only to miss and have it hit the floor on the way down.

Logan clapped his hand over his mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I hit you?"

Roman grinned. "Nah, _you're_ good." He picked up the stick, and the two locked eyes as they dissolved into nervous giggles.

"So how has your weekend been so far?" Roman asked, once they had settled down.

Logan bent down and took the first shot. "Not _too_ bad, and yours?"

"It was fine, just talking to Virgil about Romeo and Juliet for that Shakespeare class you guys are in."

"Ah, _Blind_  Love and Stupidity, you mean?" Logan quipped.

Roman snickered. "Haha, yeah, basically." His smile dropped, and he rubbed his arm. "Sounds _to_ me like it's a pretty cool class though!" he added shyly.

"Oh, certainly," Logan replied. "I'll _see_ if I come across anything you might find interesting."

Then he froze. Had he come on too strong with that? Maybe it just made him seem like more of a know-it-all. Maybe this night was a mistake after all. Maybe--

But a genuine "Cool, I'd like that!" from Roman pulled him straight out of that thought process, and Logan breathed a sigh of relief. The two shared yet another smile, now confident that this new friendship was going to work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second word of every other spoken sentence, up through the end of the second verse.


	5. House Party

"Alright, kid, _we're_ going to have the best night ever. Like, seriously, _no_  one on campus throws house parties like Remy does."

Logan Sanders walked between his two new friends one evening, crossing his new college campus to get to this supposed popular senior's house. The night was clear, warm, and quiet, but Logan's head was spinning with anxiety.

"Loud music, _strangers_ , and dim lighting. What's not _to_ enjoy?" he muttered to himself.

"You're gonna _love_ it, my dude, trust me," Marco spoke up. Logan gave a weak smile, and Marco tilted their head.

"Wait, have _you_ ever been to a party of any kind before?" Logan shook his head silently, and Marco grinned. Man, I _know_  you've only been here for two weeks, but there is so much we have to show you!"

"But rest assured," Roman added, " _the_ world's two coolest sophomores are here to--hey, you alright?"

He stopped talking, realizing that Logan was staring straight ahead.

"Do school _rules_ permit underclassmen to go to these parties?" Logan asked shakily.

Marco shrugged. "Well...now _and_ again people get busted for underage drinking, but as long as you stay away from that you'll be fine."

Logan relaxed a little. "Oh, okay... _so_ do you think there'll be other freshmen there?"

"Eh, freshmen _do_  show up sometimes, but normally not till later in the year," Roman said. "Marco and _I_ didn't go to our first party until...what, March?"

Logan rubbed his arm. "Oh...that's _a_  good deal later than September."

The three walked silently as they approached the house, but then Marco spoke up. "Welp, the _full_ college experience has to include at least one house party, so we may as well get that out of the way now, right?"

"I'm not sure _commitments_ of the social variety are a necessary part of this 'college experience', but okay," Logan muttered.

Finally, they reached Remy's house. Logan looked around in bewilderment as someone let them in and he was suddenly shoved into a noisy, crowded hallway. He stood on tiptoes and looked around for any other freshmen, when suddenly he noticed someone approaching them. He slunk down and stuck a little closer to Roman, suddenly feeling shy.

"Marco, buddy, _what_ is up with you tonight?" this new person said.

Marco smiled. "Hey Dylan, _I'm_ doing pretty well. I was _thinking_ of texting you later, actually!"

Marco and Dylan caught up from the summer, while Logan stood between them and tracked their conversation as if it were a tennis match. Finally he sighed and cleared his throat.

Marco jumped back in surprise. "Oh, right, _of_ course. Dylan, have _you_ met Logan yet?"

"No, I _wouldn't_ say I have!" Dylan said, sticking out his hand. Logan glanced at it as if it were a snake, but hesitantly took it anyway. The guy seemed friendly enough.

"Well, definitely _get_ to know him; he's a pretty cool kid!" Roman said, ruffling Logan's hair. Logan smiled through gritted teeth.

"And plus, _this_ is his first college party!" Marco added, nudging him playfully.

Finally, Logan had had enough. "Yes, I'm _from_ a place where people don't tend to party as much; however, let it be known that such a position has not hindered my voice box in any way."

The three older boys stared at him in shock, but then Dylan shrugged and looked back at his fellow sophomores. "Hey, if _any_ of you guys want a beer, I think the kitchen is open to anyone!"

"Maybe some _other_ time," Roman said with a wave of his hand.

Dylan shrugged. "Welp, this _guy_ has got you covered if you ever change your mind," he said, jerking his thumbs towards himself.

Before Logan could say anything else, a girl with wild hair came up to the group and tugged on Roman's arm. "Roman, dude, _I_ can't believe I saw you, you guys have to come see this!" she said desperately.

Roman chuckled and pulled himself from her grasp. "Yeah, sure, _just_  a minute, Linda." He turned to Logan. "Logan, you _wanna_ come with us or would you rather hang out here with Dylan?"

Suddenly feeling shy again, Logan silently jerked his head towards Dylan. Roman smiled and took off with Marco and Linda into the living room.

\--

As the sophomores left to do their own thing, Dylan and Logan remained in the hallway. Logan leaned against the wall and looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do.

Finally Dylan spoke up. "I gotta _tell_ you, kid, I don't think I've ever met such a quiet person in my life." He put an arm around Logan's shoulder. "How's about _you_ come to the kitchen with me and we work on changing that?"

Logan froze. Dylan couldn't possibly mean what Logan thought he did. Didn't Roman say that people got in trouble for just that? Where did he go, anyway? Logan stood on tiptoes again trying to find him, but then Dylan snapped his fingers in front of his face, and he realized he'd never answered the question.

Logan put his feet down and shook himself out of it. "Um, and _how_ exactly were you planning on doing that?" he said casually.

Dylan just cracked up and led Logan into the kitchen before the latter had a chance to protest. Once there, he went to the fridge and grabbed a beer bottle, and handed it to Logan.

Marco's words from earlier rang in his head. "But wait, _I'm_ only--a freshman," he said, catching himself at the last second.

Dylan just shook his head. "You'll start _feeling_ way better here once you take this, trust me," he said. "But you've _gotta_  take a sip first."

Logan looked up at Dylan in disbelief. In an instant, all the lectures he got in high school health class, the cheesy PSAs telling kids how to avoid peer pressure, heck--even the two-hour presentation he'd attended during orientation two weeks ago disappeared from his mind. All he could do was stare blankly.

But Dylan just nudged him again, and finally he took the bottle. He took the smallest sip he could, and gagged instantly. Of course, Dylan chuckled. "Okay, look, I'll _make_  this easier for you," he said, returning to the fridge. "Have _you_ ever had a screwdriver before?"

Logan furrowed his brow. "I don't _understand_..."

Dylan snickered again as he got a carton of orange juice from the bottom shelf. "Dude, I've _never_ met someone so hilarious in my life! This one's _gonna_ taste better, I promise you."

Logan peered over Dylan's shoulder as he made him his new drink, and eyed him suspiciously. Finally Dylan turned around and handed the glass back to him, and Logan took another sip of his new drink. He shuddered a little; it still tasted unpleasant, but it wasn't unbearable. He took a second sip and set his glass down.

Dylan smirked. "Now, just _give_ it a few minutes to sink in and you'll be a normal college student in no time," he said pointedly.

Logan gritted his teeth at that and picked up the glass again. Of course he was normal! Just because he was younger than everyone else, didn't mean he was that different. It just meant that--

Suddenly, in a matter of seconds, all of Logan's anger and spite melted away. As he sipped more and more of his drink, he found himself feeling sleepy, and content, and warm. He emptied his glass and put it back down on the counter.

"So...are _you_ feeling better now?" Dylan asked. Logan jumped a little; he'd forgotten the other was still around.

"Think I'm _up_  for another, yeah!" he replied, a little surprised at how hard it was to talk without tripping over his words.

Dylan chuckled. "Well, I _never_ asked you that, exactly, but if you want another one then sure, no problem!" He went back to the counter. "This is _gonna_ get interesting..." he muttered to himself.

A few minutes later, he returned with Logan's second drink, now looking much friendlier. He handed Logan his glass and leaned in. "So, Logan, _let_  me hear how these first two weeks have gone! How are _you_ liking Orlando so far?"

"Well, I'm _down_ for the classes, that's for sure!" Logan chirped, once again caught off-guard by how cheerful he felt. "But I've _never_ been around so many people before!"

Dylan chuckled, but something in his expression made Logan's face burn. The latter winced, realizing just how childish he must have sounded. He cleared his throat. "Um, but it's _gonna_ be a cool time, I'm sure."

Dylan nodded, and looked around the room until he noticed a school newspaper lying on the island of the kitchen. Suddenly he perked up. "You gonna _run_ for freshman class council or something? Usually _around_ next week is when people start signing up. Surely Roman _and_ Marco could help you campaign for it!" he said cheerfully.

Logan gave a wave of his hand. "I'd rather _desert_ the whole student government thing, to be honest. Seriously, when _you_ have to manage people your own age for three years, you kinda get sick of it for good."

He froze. Did he just say three years? Did Dylan catch that? Was his newfound lack of filter about to ruin everything?

But to Logan's relief, Dylan just shrugged. "Eh, you _never_  know."

The two were silent for a few moments, and Dylan started fiddling with Logan's now-empty glass. "Hey, I'm _gonna_ get myself one of these," he said. "Should I _make_ you a third?"

Logan nodded eagerly, and Dylan raised his eyebrows as he went over to the counter one more time. "Ya know, _you_ can be kinda fun to talk to when you're like this. A far _cry_ from what you were like half an hour ago, that's for sure."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Gee, I've _never_ heard a more backhanded compliment in my life." But he couldn't help smiling.

"Kid, you're _gonna_ fit in here just fine," Dylan replied as he handed Logan his drink.

Logan took the glass once more and brought it to his lips again, although his hands were shaking. He took another long sip and put it back down, yawning. He pulled out his phone. How long had he been sitting there, anyway?

He looked at his screen and squinted. 10:48, it said. But what did those numbers mean...? Oh, right. It was a time. That meant that he'd been at the party for around an hour already, although how long he was in the kitchen, he couldn't be sure.

But he was sure that all of that took him way longer to process than it should have.

He put his chin down on the counter and moaned softly. Somehow this whole drinking thing wasn't all that fun anymore. He picked up his phone again and tried to type out a text to Roman and Marco, but a booming voice from behind pulled him out of his head.

"Hey, didn't I _say_ you weren't allowed back here?"

\--

Logan and Dylan both jumped, and turned to see a guy wearing a leather jacket, with sunglasses over his head. The guy leaned closer in to Dylan.

"I--oh, _goodbye_ , Jason," he said suddenly, stopping to wave at someone on the other side of the counter. He shook his head and turned back to Dylan, grabbing him by the collar. Logan shrunk back and stared at the scene in shock.

"Seriously, Dylan, ' _Never_ come to my parties again' means 'never come to my parties again,' full-stop. I'm not _gonna_ let you hang around here and get me in trouble just because you think it's some twisted game to try to get underclassmen drunk."

Logan widened his eyes at that, and gritted his teeth in self-deprecation. How could he have been so stupid?

"I will _tell_ the admin office if you pull something like that again--I'm not bluffing," Remy went on. "You hand _a_  single underclassman something they shouldn't be having, and--"

He stopped suddenly, taking notice of Logan for the first time. He tilted his head and met Logan's glazed eyes, and turned back to Dylan.

"Dylan, don't _lie_ to me," he said in quiet fury. "Face me _and_ tell me you didn't give this kid anything."

Meanwhile, Logan tried to sit up a little, but he immediately flopped back down and laid his head on the counter again. He stared at the two older boys and tried to track their conversation, but his ears were starting to ring, and their voices kept going in and out.

"It won't _hurt_ him...if...a few drinks, you know," Logan heard Dylan say.

"Right, and _you_...tell me that's just a few?" Remy asked, gesturing towards Logan. "Come on, _we've_ had...conversation...million times. If I'd _known_ you had snuck back in I never would have let this happen."

From where he was sitting, Logan tried to glare at Dylan. He still couldn't believe he'd let himself get wrapped into everything so easily.

"You ruined _each_ party I threw...year and I'm not gonna let...ruin my senior year as well, so scram," Remy concluded, pointing his hand out the door.

Dylan rolled his eyes. "Seriously dude, _other_ seniors are so much cooler than you." He walked out backwards, flipping Remy off with both hands.

Remy sneered at the gesture, and turned back to Logan, suddenly a lot more gentle. "Hey, stand _for_ me?" he asked, bending to Logan's level.

Logan tried to pick his head up so he could stand, but the change in motion that accompanied the first action was too much for him, and he leaned his head over the back of the chair instead.

Suddenly dining hall food became more disgusting than Logan had ever thought possible.

He burst into tears immediately and covered his mouth. "Oh, I'm _so_ sorry, I didn't--"

But Remy just shook his head and grabbed a paper towel. "Hey, as _long_ as we get you safe, that's all that matters." But Logan still hung his head, so Remy stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Trust me, _your_ mess is not the first one this floor has seen," he insisted with a smile. He finished cleaning up the mess and tried again to lift Logan up from the chair.

"God, your _heart's_ pounding," he said softly. He met Logan's eyes. "Have you _been_ eating tonight, at least?"

Logan shook his head, though he wasn't sure how well he understood the question. He put his hand to his forehead. "Head is _aching_..." he moaned.

"I'd imagine, _but_ I'm gonna help you, okay?" Remy replied.

Logan nodded, and watched as Remy filled a new glass with water and held it out with one hand as he led Logan upstairs with the other. They walked down the hall and stopped at what Logan figured was Remy's room.

Remy sat Logan down on the bed. "Okay, so _you're_ a freshman, I'm guessing?" he asked.

Logan sneered. "It wasn't _too_ obvious already?"

Remy crossed his arms and laughed in spite of himself. "Yeah, this _shy_ and timid wallflower can be sarcastic when he wants to be," Logan said.

Remy shook himself out of it and got serious again, nodding towards Logan's pocket. "You need _to_  call someone," he insisted.

Logan's heart dropped. He pulled out his phone again and scrolled through his contacts, trying to figure out who would get him in the least amount of trouble.

"Call and _say_  that you need help and that they need to come get you, okay?" Remy said a little more gently.

Finally, Logan made his decision. He pressed the call button and put it on speaker, too exhausted to hold it up. Meanwhile, Remy stood by patiently.

After a few rings, Patton's cheerful voice came through the speaker. Hey, how's _it_  going, Logan? Having fun _inside_ the big gates of college?"

Logan could only respond with a soft groan.

"Sleepy, are _we_?" Patton responded, still cheerful.

"Okay, for _both_ of your sakes, I think I'm gonna have to take over here," Remy said, partly to himself. He picked up the phone and took it off speaker.

"Patton, I _know_ this is going to sound shocking, but somehow Logan found his way into my party and got involved with Dylan and I need you to come over and get him home," he said in a rush.

"Hold on, _what's_ going on, exactly?" Patton replied, now indignant.

"Your friend's _been_ drinking and I told him to call someone and you were his first choice, apparently," he repeated.

Patton sighed deeply. "Okay, I'm _going_ to be there in around ten minutes; just keep him safe."

Remy hung up the phone and gave it back to Logan. "Just lie _on_ the bed here, okay? I promise _we_ will get this sorted out." He stayed sitting on the bed and stroked Logan's hair for a few moments until the latter passed out.

\--

Logan managed to sleep for a few minutes, but the next thing he knew, Patton was in the room now, yelling at Remy.

"Look, I _know_ you're mad, but I swear I had nothing to do with this," Remy pleaded. "I kicked _the_ rat out of here as soon as I found him and I made sure that Logan had water and a safe place to stay in the meantime."

Patton just shook his head. "This party _game_ of yours is going to come to an end real soon, bub. Underage drinking _and_ an inability to control your guests is gonna get you in serious trouble with the school."

Remy crossed his arms. "Now hey, _we're_ not talking about houses getting trashed or anything like that. If you're _gonna_ blame me for the actions of just one person then that's not fair."

"I don't _play_ around when it comes to keeping Logan safe, Remy. I've done _it_  his whole life."

Remy gave Patton a curious look, and the latter clarified, "His brother _and_ I have been best friends since literally forever, and Logan is my little brother just as much as he is Virgil's."

Just then, their discussion was interrupted by a knock on the door, and Patton and Remy turned to see Logan's sophomore friends standing in the doorway.

"Hey guys, _if_  we could interrupt for a minute...um, you should know that Marco and I were the ones who brought Logan here," Roman explained timidly. "So if _you_ want to yell at someone, yell at us." Marco nodded in agreement.

Patton pulled the sophomores into the room and stared them down. "Let me _ask_ you guys this, then: What in this whole world could have possessed you to invite a sixteen-year-old kid to a wild house party?"

From where he was lying on the bed, Logan clenched his teeth, knowing his secret had been exposed.

Marco put their hands up. "Whoa there, _me_  and Roman had no idea he was sixteen, trust us." Now it was Roman's turn to nod emphatically.

"Not sure _how_ you missed that, but okay," Patton said skeptically, shooting Logan a side glance.

Remy spoke up again. "Patton, really, _I'm_ so sorry for all of this, and--"

"Oh, I'm _feeling_ fine, thanks for asking, everyone." Logan interrupted loudly as he sat up. Patton shook his head and smiled, and wrapped his surrogate kid brother in a hug.

While still in Patton's grasp, Logan craned his head to address Roman and Marco. "Guys, please _don't_ go spreading my age around. I can't _tell_ you how much I need to keep this under wraps. Everyone treats _me_ like a kid enough as it is," he whined, looking up at Patton pointedly.

"But Logan," Patton cooed, " _you're_ not old enough to be at a place like this--at a house party--and keeping your age a secret could really land you in some dangerous situations."

Noticing the anger mounting in Logan's eyes, Remy spoke up again and stood in the middle of the room. "Look guys, _too_  much has been going on tonight for one person and I think we just need to get Logan back home."

Patton nodded, and he and Remy helped Logan up off the bed. "I'm not _blind_ , you know," the freshman snapped as the two upperclassmen guided him down the stairs."

"Let's go _to_ Virgil's and my apartment, okay?" Patton said once they were outside. "Tomorrow we'll _see_ what we can do to keep this from happening again."

Knowing he had no other choice, Logan nodded and stumbled along down the sidewalk, reluctantly approaching his jail cell.

\--

When Logan woke up next, it was daylight, and he soon realized that he was lying under a blanket on the couch in the juniors' living room. He sat up a little and groaned, noticing for the first time just how much his head was pounding. From the kitchen, he could hear Patton on the phone, presumably with Remy.

"And he's _never_ coming within fifty feet of your house again?...Well, I'm _gonna_ hope they get back to you soon...okay...bye."

Patton hung up his phone and noticed Logan looking at him. He grabbed a plate with some toast on it that was lying in the kitchen, and set it down on the living room table. "I'm gonna _give_ you some breakfast now, but afterwards I have to head out," Patton explained without . "But later _you_ and Virgil are going to talk about this, you understand?" He looked up. "Oh, Virgil's _up_ now."

Patton gathered his things and left the room, and Virgil came over to sit on the couch across from Logan.

"Man, I've _never_ seen you so out of it before!" Virgil said with a chuckle. "You're definitely _gonna_ have quite the story to tell at Thanksgiving."

He poked Logan in the side and grinned, but Logan just slumped his shoulders and nibbled at his food. Virgil softened a little, and took his younger brother's hands.

"Let me _let_ you in on a little secret, okay?" he began, as Logan finally looked up. "Logan Sanders, _you_ are not the first-ever college student to drink too much at a party. Don't get _down_ on yourself too much for what happened last night, alright?" He smiled and tapped Logan on the nose.

Logan just shook his head and drew back. "People are _never_ going to take me seriously now," he began. "I'm always _gonna_ be the naive, precocious little kid who'll get left out of everything fun or just...normal because he's not old enough. I couldn't _run_ away from all of that here, even though I've tried." He was starting to become too choked up to talk, but he continued, "Just gotta hang _around_ for the next four years and not do anything else too damaging."

Virgil sat patiently for a few minutes, waiting for his brother to calm down and trying to figure out how to help. Finally he spoke up again.

"Hey...Mom _and_ Dad would understand if you changed your mind about this, you know," he said carefully.

Logan looked up at him in horror. "I can't _desert_ everything I worked so hard for though. I mean, _you_ do realize that our whole town knows me as nothing more than that weird kid who graduated early, right?" He sat back on the couch and folded his arms. I would _never_ be able to live it down if I quit. I'm just _gonna_ stay here and suck it up."

"Logan," Virgil said patiently, "don't _make_ your decisions based on how other people would react. I know _you_ hate that kind of after school special-style advice, but it's true."

He leaned forward a little, waiting for a response, when suddenly Logan finally burst into tears.

"Logan...don't _cry_...just answer the question," he pleaded, a little startled.

Logan wiped his eyes. "C'mon, I've _never_ backed down from anything before; you know that. What, I'm _gonna_ just not go to college at all and do nothing with my life?"

"I didn't _say_ that," Virgil said, putting his hands up. "Don't say _goodbye_ to college altogether, just...put it down for a while."

Logan gave him a curious look, so he sighed. "Has it _never_ occurred to you that you could defer a year? Because I'm _gonna_ bet that if you go to the admissions office and explain the story, they'd be able to work something out."

Logan frowned, and sat back as the wheels started turning in his head.

"I won't _tell_ you what to do," Virgil said quietly. "It's just _a_  suggestion."

Logan took another deep, quivering breath. "Well, I won't _lie_...that would probably help."

Virgil nodded patiently. Logan's lip started to tremble, and the pitch of his voice raised dramatically as he said, "And you _and_ Patton are still gonna be around next year, right?"

Virgil nodded again, and reached out his hand.

"It's gonna _hurt_ to do this," Logan said at last, "but I think you may have a point."

"Then do what _you_ need to do, and when you're ready, everyone will still be behind you, okay?" Virgil replied. Logan nodded, and finally leaned in for a hug.

As Virgil sat on his couch, holding his baby brother, he knew with certainty that Logan would find his way in life--even if Logan himself couldn't see it yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third (by default, but second or fourth as necessary) word of every single sentence, up through the end of the second chorus.

**Author's Note:**

> Might as well be straight up about what's going on this time around.


End file.
